President Benigno Aquino III with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak and Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu during the signing of the Framework Agreement in Manila on Monday, October 15, 2012. Also in the photo are Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Murad Ebrahim, Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles, Philippine peace negotiator Marvic Leonen and his MILF counterpart Mohagher Iqbal. (Photo by Benhur Arcayan)
MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 15, 2012) – The Philippines and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, have signed a historic pact on Monday, a huge step towards ending decades of bloody fighting that had killed tens of thousands of civilians in Mindanao.
Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak witnessed the signing of the peace pact with President Benigno Aquino in the Presidential Palace.
MILF deputy and chief of the peace panel, Mohagher Iqbal, and his Philippine counterpart Marvic Leonen signed the Framework Agreement which outlines the general features of the political settlement between the two sides.
Manila said the pact defines the structure and powers of the new Bangsamoro autonomous entity that will replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao provinces, including the cities of Lamitan and Marawi.
It said the Framework Agreement also sets the principles, processes and mechanisms for the transition until the regular election in 2016 for the new Bangsamoro autonomous political entity. And it paves the way forward to the just resolution of the historical divide between the Filipino government and the Muslims. (Mindanao Examiner)
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